Scoring mechanism



y 1946- J. M. SEIDEL 2,400,657

SCORING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 22, 1945 2 Shets-Sheet 1 a ii JINVENTOR Min-HM BY K TTO KEY;

May 1946- J. M. SEIDEL SCORING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 22, 1945 2Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented May 21, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE SCORING MECHANISM Julius M. Seldel, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application August 22, 1945, Serial No. 611,958

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a scoring mechanism for game apparatus andpertains more especially to a resetting device for such mechanism. Whilethe invention is not limited to any particular field of use it is nicelyadapted for use in connection with the scoring mechanism of the bowlinggame commonly known as skeeball.

An object of this invention is an improved and efiicient resettingdevice in which the applied operating force is always the same and thepossibility of injury to the apparatus by the application of excessiveoperating force is effectively prevented.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention will beapparent from the following specification and accompanying drawingswherein Fig. l is a side elevation of a game apparatus equipped withscoring mechanism embodying the resetting device embodying theinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the scoring mechanism. Fig. 3is a perspective view of the operating means for the resetting device.Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the scoring mechanism lookinginto Fig. 2 from the left. Fig. 5 is a similar view looking into Fig. 2from the right. Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary side elevations showingdifferent positions assumed by the resetting device in its cycle ofoperations. In Fig. 1 I9 represents a game apparatus commonly known asskeeball. This apparatus is provided with a lever I I which releases theballs which are used in playing the game and through which resetting ofthe scoring mechanism is effected. A link I2 connects the lever I withan arm |3 rotatably supported by the shaft I4, a spring I5 tending toreturn the lever II, link I2 and arm I3 to the position shown in Fig. 1after the same had been moved from such position. A second arm I6 isfixed to the shaft I4 and a third arm I1 is also fixed to the shaft I4.A spring I8 exerts a pull on the arm I'I tending to return it to theposition shown in Fig. 1 after movement from such position and a dashpotI9 is associated with the arm I1 for cushioning the return of the arm I!to normal position under the influence of the spring I8. The link 20leads from the arm I? to the resetting means later to be described. Apull on the lever II moves the arm I3 into contact with the arm I6thereby effecting rotation of the shaft I4 and movement of the arm I! tothe left against the action of the spring I8. Upon release of the handleII the spring I5 returns the arm I3 to original position and the springI8 returns the arm H to its original position. The upward force appliedto the link 20 is thus always the same and is determined by thecharacteristics of the spring I8 and the dashpot I9.

A rotary scoring mechanism 2| is suitably mounted on the apparatus I9and consists, generally speaking, of a squirrel cage having leaves 22pivoted to the cage bars and bearing appropriate numbers which drop froma fixed rest 23 as the squirrel cage is rotated. These leaves bearsuitable markings or numbers to indicate, one at a time through asuitable opening, the score made by the player of the game. At one endof the squirrel cage are provided a plurality of pins 2 1 correspondingin number with the number of leaves 22 and a pawl 25 is provided forengaging the pins 24 to advance the member 2|. A link 25 connects thepawl 25 with suitable actuating mechanism which constitutes nopart ofthis invention and may be any of the mechanisms now used for thispurpose. The pawl 25 is carried by one end of a lever 21 which ispivoted on a stud 28 and is provided with a projection 29 adapted to bearranged between successive pins 24 to prevent accidental rotation ofthe member 2|. A spring 39 tends to hold the lever 2'! and pawl 25 inthe position shown in Fig. 2. A dog 3| also pivoted on the stud 28 isprovided with a counterweight 32 to maintain its right end incontactwith the pins 24 to prevent clockwise rotation of the member 2 I.

A resetting finger 33 is mounted for rotation relative to the member 2|and is connected to the pinion 34 for rotation therewith. A quadrant 35meshes with the pinion 34 and is rotatably supported by the stud 36. Anarm 31 extending from the quadrant is connected to the link 29. A dog 38is mounted on the member 2| for engagement by the finger 33, thearrangement being such that the dog permits of clockwise movement of thefinger 33 past it, but upon counterclockwise movement of the finger 33remains in the path of movement of the finger. With this arrangementdownward pull on the link 28 causes clockwise rotation of the finger 33without any cheat on the member 2|, while upward movement of the link 26brings the finger 33 into engagement with the dog 38 to effectcounterclockwise rotation of the member 2|.

The detent 39 is engageable by a pin 40 on member 2| to stopcounterclockwise rotation of the member 2| at a zero or completely resetposition. This detent 39 is pivoted on the stud 4| and is provided witha pin 42 engaged by cam surface 43 provided on the arm 21a of the lever21. A spring 44 tends to maintain the detent 39 in position to beengaged by the pin 40. A cam 45 is connected to the quadrant 35 forrotation therewith and a second cam 46 is supported coaxially with thecam 45, but is rotatable independently thereof. In the cam 46 isprovided a notch having a shoulder 46 engageable by a pin 48 on thelever 21 to prevent counterclockwise rotation of the cam 46. The workingsurface of the cam 45 is equal in radius to the right-hand end of camsurface 46 as seen in Fig. 2 but is less in radius than the left-handthereof and is arranged to engage the pin 46 to move it out of the notchto permit rotation of the cam 46 and a spring 41 connects the cams 45and 46 so that after the cam 46 is released rotation thereof will beeffected by the spring 41 to bring the pin 46a on the cam 46 intoengagement with the shoulder 45a on the cam 45. The cam 46 is of lessradius adjacent the notch 49 than it is adjacent the other end of itsperiphery and the working surface of the cam is arranged to move thelever 21 sufficiently that the detent 39 is moved out of the path of thepin 46 while the movement of the lever 21 effected by the cam 45 isinsufficient for that purpose.

The operation of the resetting mechanism is as follows: Assume that themember 2| has been advanced to some position other than the zeroposition shown in Fig. 2 in the course of the operation of the gameapparatus with which the mechanism is associated. The dog 36 will thenbe moved to some position counterclockwise of the position shown. A pullon the resetting lever II will effect a downward pull on the link 26, aspreviously described, with consequent counterclockwise rotation of thequadrant 35 and clockwise movement of the finger 33 through an arc ofnearly 540 to the position shown in Fig. 7. The cam 45 is rotated withthe quadrant 35 and in its initial period engages the pin 46 to move thesame out of the path of the shoulder 41 of the cam 46 with correspondingmovement of the lever 21 (see Fig. 6). As soon as the cam 46 is releasedthe spring 41 causes counterclockwise rotation of the cam 46 withconsequent further movement of the lever 21 by reason of the engagementwith the pin 46 by the working sur-- face of the cam 46. The movement ofthe lever 21 effected by the cam 46 is sufficient to move the detent 36out of the path of the pin 46 through the interaction of the pin 42 andthe cam surface 43. The member 2| is now released for counterclockwisemovement, all the above described operations having been performed bymoving the lever l I from the position shown in Fig. l in full lines tothe position shown in the same figure in dotted lines. Upon release ofthe handle II, the arm 13 immediately returns to its original positionwhile the arm [1 is returned to its original position under the controlof the spring l6 and dashpot l6, as previously described, withcorresponding upward movement of the link 26. The upward movement of thelink 26 effects clockwise rotation of the quadrant 35 andcounterclockwise rotation of the finger 33 to bring the same intoengagement with the dog 36, thereby effecting counterclockwise rotationof the member 21. Likewise, clockwise rotation is effected of the cams45 and 46 through the engagement of the pin 46a with the shoulder 45a,the relative positions of the cams 45 and 46 being such that the notch49 is open to receive the pin 48. When the notch 49 comes into registerwith the pin 46 the lever 21 is operated by the spring 36 to move thepin 46 into the notch 49 and at the same time to release the detent 39to be moved back into the path of the pin 46 by the spring 44. Thedesign of the various elements just referred to is such that the detent39 moves into the path of the pin 46 before the member 21' has reachedits zero position. Engagement of the pin 46 with the detent 36 stops themember 21 in the zero position, as shown in Fig. 2.

The forward pull on the lever Ii conditions the resetting mechanism andthe forward movement of such lever is limited by engagement with thefront end of the slot in which it is arranged so that excessive forcecannot be applied. The actual resetting of the scoring mechanism iseffected by the force developed by the spring 18 and controlled by thedashpot I9 so that the resetting force is always the same and excessiveforce cannot be applied in the resetting operation.

This application is a refiling of applicants previously allowedapplication, Serial No. 92,994, filed July 28, 1936.

I claim:

A device of the character described comprising a rotatable member, arotatable finger coaxial with said member, an oscillatable member gearedto said finger, manually operable means for actuating said oscillatablemember to effect advance rotation of said finger through an arc of morethan 360, a dog on said rotatable member in the path of said finger,said dog being yieldable to permit passage of said finger upon advancerotation thereof, spring means for actuating said oscillatable member toeffect reverse rotation of said finger to initial position, a pin onsaid rotatable member, a pivoted lever adapted to engage said pin in thezero position of said wheel, a cam connected to said oscillatablemember, a notched second cam coaxial with said first cam but rotatablerelative thereto, resilient means connecting said cams, a second leverhaving an operating connection with said first lever, and a cam followeron said second lever adapted to seat in the notch of said second cam,said first cam being effective upon initial movement to lift thefollower out of the notch and said second cam being effective to movesaid first lever into inoperative relation to said pin.

JULIUS M. SEIDEL.

